Moyes PR stunt betrayed by his own words

Moyes PR stunt fell sort 

I’m just going to come out and say it… I didn’t believe David Moyes’ comments about a new contract. Don’t get me wrong, I accept that talks were underway, and there was certainly a desire in December to hasten negotiations about his future. However, I don’t believe there has been renewed discourse since West Ham’s form has started to slide.

To listen to Moyes in his press conference, one would assume that he has a finalised contract in front of him. The suggestion is that all he has to do is simply sign on the dotted line, and the deal will be activated. Personally, I think it’s more complicated than that.

The club would need to sign off and ratify any such deal, and I don’t think there is too much desire to rush into a decision. The club hierarchy are sensibly biding their time, and I believe that Moyes has read the room and is aware of the stalling tactic.

The West Ham manager is simply trying to get ahead of the story and control some of the narrative. By claiming to be the final decision-maker, he is posturing his control over the situation, but in reality, he is a complete passenger.

There was something amiss with Moyes’ words and phrasing when he addressed the hacks from the national press this afternoon. Whilst his intention implied the confidence of a man in control, his wording betrayed the demonstration of power and gave a glimpse behind the curtain.

Moyes betrayed his true feelings

Phrases such as “do what’s best for my family” and “I’ll do what’s right for the club” are not the vernacular of one looking to the future. They are the words of a reflective man who is winding down, which I think is the message behind the statement. In short, I believe Moyes has lost his mojo.

To be fair to the man, it can’t be easy to see the writing on the wall. The contract talks have conveniently stalled, Tim Steidten is growing in influence and power, and a large percentage of the fans no longer want him. So today’s press conference was an attempt to come out fighting; unfortunately, Moyes has the look of someone with no fight left.

I do believe that all options remain open to Moyes, but ultimately it will be down to results rather than him picking up a pen. If West Ham qualify for Europe again this season, then I’m certain he’ll be offered a new deal. If Moyes can pick up intermittent wins between now and the end of the campaign, I believe he’ll be allowed to see the season out to its finale.

However, if West Ham don’t pick up a win in their next three games, then I think his position will become untenable. Just to be clear, this is my reading of the situation and not coming from a club source. Personally, I think Moyes would struggle to hang onto his job if we suffer a humiliating defeat and performance against Brentford on Monday.